Wychavon

Wychavon's population grew in the decade to 2011. Data from the census also show there were changes in average age, religion and work life.

The population reached nearly 120,000

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Wychavon increased by 3.5%, from almost 113,000 to 117,000.

The addition of just under 4,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Wychavon was home to, on average, 1.3 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was lower than the average across the West Midlands

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across the West Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Wychavon

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Wychavon increased by four years, from 41 to 45 years.

This rural area had the third-highest average age in the West Midlands and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of just over 4,700 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by just under 5,000.

About 14% of people in Wychavon are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Wychavon by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Wychavon

The number of people in Wychavon that described themselves as Christian decreased from just under 92,000 in 2001 to about 84,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 81% to 72% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across the West Midlands (from 73% to 60%) and the average across England (from 72% to 59%).

The number of people in Wychavon that described themselves as having no religion increased from just under 13,000 in 2001 to about 24,000 in 2011 (from 11% to 20%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 7,400 to just under 8,100 (from 6.5% to 6.9%).

About 430 people (0.2%) said they identified with a religion other than Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism or Sikhism, up from just over 230 in 2001 (0.4%).

The population who identified as Christian in Wychavon decreased by 9.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Wychavon by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Wychavon

The percentage of Wychavon residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 7.7% to 7.9% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 30 (3.6%) reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities, compared with 2.8% in 2001. The percentage of Wychavon residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 90% to 89%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the West Midlands (from 7.1% in 2001 to 6.8% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 6.8% to 6.5%.

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

Wychavon saw the West Midlands' second-largest fall in the proportion of people working long hours.

In 2011, just under one in eight (12%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Wychavon said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 16% in 2001. The percentage that worked less than 16 hours in a week increased from 2.0% to 2.8%.

Across the region, only East Staffordshire saw a greater fall in the proportion of people working long hours (from 16% to 11%).

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a fall in the proportion of people working long hours, as the regional average fell from 13% to 9.4%.

Long hour working in Wychavon decreased by 4.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Wychavon, the West Midlands and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

Changing relationships in Wychavon

The proportion of married people fell in Wychavon, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in the West Midlands.

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a fall in the proportion of married people, as the regional average fell from 52% to 48%.

During this period, Wychavon overtook four local authority areas, including Lichfield and Bromsgrove, to become the West Midlands local authority area with the highest percentage of married people.

The proportion of married people was higher than across the West Midlands

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they were married across local authority areas in the West Midlands and the average across England, March 2011

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